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Newfags
"We absolutely don't fucking care about your personal stories or experiences Only post about them if they're funny." -The rule N°1 of GandalfTheBlack's chart of HL posting law 267217th post of HL, March 2014 Introduction A newfag is a distinct member of the userbase of a website, video game or fandom, who hasn't been present and/or active long enough to be familiar with the average community's mentality. This kind of user usually has a lesser experience of the site than the elders, called "oldfags" and are sometimes subject to bully by the latter, due to their unfamiliarity and misinformation about the site's inside news, or private jokes that might require this certain experience, which therefore couldn't be understood by newfags. "Due to TK currently being less than a year old, it is impossible to know who is an oldfag and who isn't. Only oldfags know, and nobody's gonna write a chart for you." Origin of the name "Newfag" is a portmanteau between the words "New" and "Faggot". The term is believed to have been used for the first time on 4chan, where the community is rather elitist and closed and thus called the newcomers or the occasional users "newfags" or summerfags" (users who only visit the site during vacations). In the following years, several website video game or fandom communities, have started to use the term as well. The name would have been created before its twin, "oldfag". People targeted as newfags would have created the term "oldfag" in reaction to the older members' hostile attitude toward newcomers, and eventually ended up being borne with pride by so-called oldfags under self-derision. Controversies Controversies about newfags' actual value Newfags are often blamed to decrease the site's quality, or to modify it, due to being unfamiliar with the average standards. If the newfags happen to be in a high number enough, they can even alter the votes and reverse the entire result of a front page, a poll or the average community's mentality. Although many factors can be responsible of it, newfags are often considered as being responsible for one site's fall. Controversies on the term itself Complexity of the definition If the distinction between an newfag and another user is based on the time spent, it is disputed that age isn't the only factor defining one as an newfag, or not, but also contribution, and presence. A newfag who will often show presence in the comment sections or as a poster will be faster considered as a full member, and rewarded such than a user who visit the site every once in a while. Such kind of contributing newfags can lead to be considered as a sub-genre of oldfags, occasionally called "postfags". The term of newfag on Top-Kek.com The definition of newfag on Top-kek is even more controverted, due to the site currently being less than a year old. Making each user as (in)experienced than any other. Yet, the bound between Top-kek and The Site that Must Not Be Named being still present, newfags are therefore based on their acts during their time on the previous site. However, the previous law is less and less effective as some users considered as newfags became source of reference inside of the site, like the users RavenJuice, or TionBlaze Conclusion Nobody remains an eternal newfag (unless you preposterously try really hard). With time and presence, once ends up being familiar with the community. Therefore, being newfag can be considered as a stage of familiarization with the userbase's mentality What can newfags do to connect with the older members of the community? # Learn the vocabulary. Older members are called oldfags. # Learn the behaviour of the community. Terms such as shitposting and rejoke are an important aspect. # Appreciate the value of keks. These can usually tell a user if their post/comment is shit, in which case it is a shitpost. # Stop reading the fucking wiki. # Persist until you can successfully learn all the moral guidelines and stuff. Some people become oldfags without actually becoming a part of the community, so don't think the 1 year mark means you get superpowers (That would be the 5 year mark).